1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to image forming apparatuses, sheet feeding source selection methods, and recording media, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus including plural sheet feeding sources, a sheet feeding source selection method and a recording medium for use therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years and continuing, image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals (MFP) often include plural sheet feeding trays as sheet feeding sources. In such multifunction peripherals, the sheet feeding trays store sheets of different sizes; and therefore, a sheet feeding source needs to be selected automatically or by a user's instruction. One conventional example of a multifunction peripheral sequentially searches for a sheet feeding tray with the shortest sheet feeding path, and the first found sheet feeding tray storing the desired sheet size is selected.
Another conventional example of a multifunction peripheral selects a sheet feeding tray storing a large quantity of sheets. When there are plural sheet feeding trays storing a large quantity of sheets, the tray with the shortest sheet feeding path among them is selected. When none of the sheet feeding trays stores a large quantity of sheets, the tray with many remaining sheets is selected. When there are plural sheet feeding trays with many remaining sheets, the tray with the shortest sheet feeding path among them is selected (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. H11-157684
In the conventional technology, the sheet feeding tray is selected according to the number of sheets stored, the number of sheets remaining, or the length of the sheet feeding path, in an attempt to enhance productivity. However, in recent years and continuing, multifunction peripherals are operated under various conditions including sheet types stored in the sheet feeding trays, the machine structure, the machine performance, user options, etc. Therefore, productivity cannot be enhanced sufficiently by simply selecting the sheet feeding tray according to the number of sheets stored, the number of sheets remaining, or the length of the sheet feeding path.